Two Harbors couple thrive in small abodes

TWO HARBORS — When they’re living out of their van, Natalie Jackson and Lucas Will travel with the essentials. That’s two stand-up paddleboards, two bikes and two surfboards.

“It’s more or less a garage space for all of our toys,” Jackson said.

For the past 10 years, Jackson and Will have been thriving in small abodes: the van, which they most recently traveled and lived out of for eight months, the tiny home they designed and built, now located in Two Harbors, and three seasons on a 1970s sailboat docked in Washburn, Wisconsin.

“The only time I ever felt cramped was on the boat if it was raining because it leaked,” said Jackson.

Will reconstructed the inside of their van in 2020. Inside, there’s a queen mattress with a memory foam topper, a little library, and a table that moves into a standing desk.

When they’re traveling in it, they set up their kitchen outdoors and store their food in coolers with items grouped by categories: dinner or anything that needs to be cooked, drinks and breakfast things.

They’ve comfortably stayed in it through single-digit temps to as high as the upper 90s, and they travel with enough clothing to fill a large duffel bag. “We like small spaces and being mobile,” said Jackson.

Before reconstructing the inside of the van, Will’s previous experience was helping demolish a bathroom. While living in the boat, they learned a lot about design and tips for building from “a 'second grandpa' at the docks.” And, they started building their tiny home eight years ago.

They used a slew of repurposed materials including wood from a barn in Bayfield and some from a friend at the marina. The white wall's tongue and groove pine is from Lutsen. “That represents our origin story,” Will said.

Today, the tiny home is a 24-foot long, 18-foot wide trailer that runs 13.2 feet tall at its highest point.

French doors open to the living room, where there’s vaulted ceilings, a long staircase to the loft/bedroom and a galley kitchen that leads to the bathroom.

A picture of their old sailboat hangs on one of the white walls. The solar panel controls hide behind a metal-bar hanging blanket.

Every piece needs to serve multiple uses, and they’re “pretty ruthless” when it comes to not accumulating a lot of “stuff.”

A series of cast-iron pans hang in the kitchen — one reading "Washburn, Wisconsin." There’s a medium-sized fridge and windows on all four walls.

They use jugs for water — 7 gallons outside, 5 gallons inside — and they have a composting toilet.

One discovery: You can’t have a hair dryer or an air popper in here, or you’ll blow a fuse. “We learned our thresholds on things like that,” he said.

Will is from the Twin Cities and attended the University of Minnesota Duluth; Jackson grew up outside Chicago. The couple met while working at Lutsen Resort, and afterward, they quit their jobs for a few months to paddle the Mississippi River.

Over the years, they wanted to have access to outdoor spaces with a minimal footprint, minimal cost of living and minimal headaches — so there’s more time to live, she said.

They want to focus on spending their energy, time and resources wisely and mindfully, “investing in ourselves,” said Will.

Outdoors education and leadership training runs deep for the pair, which is a perfect fit for Jackson. “I feel completely trapped by the four walls and a book,” she said.

She’s worked at Outward Bound in Ely, Camp Manito-wish in Wisconsin and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland.

Seasonal jobs have included conducting leadership training for middle and high school students, flatwater and whitewater canoeing, expedition backpacking, sea kayaking and more.

“The way we’ve always operated is lifestyle comes first, then work,” said Jackson, and she turned her lifestyle into her job.

She launched her coaching business, Natalie Jackson Wellness, about four years ago.

Through her Instagram account , Jackson documents travels to California hot springs and Utah salt flats, hammocking and doing headstands in the van, and lifting a kettlebell in their home.

“Anytime, anywhere can be a time to play," “I AM the gym and my membership is my commitment to myself,” read the captions.

Earning her health certifications and opening her business goes hand in hand with her values and the way she moves through the world.

“Building this house gave me the confidence to build my business. I don’t think I could've done those in reverse,” she said.

Asked what's next, Jackson said she’s offering a health mentorship for clients starting Sept. 5, and the couple is selling their van for their next adventure: owning land.

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Two Harbors couple thrive in small abodes